The story of Doc’s transformation from the orchestrator of the Vvaywards’ torment to their savior is a pivotal one, rooted in her deep internal conflict and powerful empathy. Doc’s background is one of complexity, as she was once the person who held their fates in her hands, and she played a part in the experiments that left them scarred. But what sets her apart from the cold, clinical nature of the experiments she conducted is her humanity, an empathy that eventually drove her to free the Vvaywards from their cruel captivity.
Doc’s Role as the Experimenter:
Initially, Doc was a dedicated scientist and doctor, someone deeply involved in the world of medical research. However, her field of study led her into morally gray areas, particularly the research involving C-23, a mysterious substance that could alter human physiology. For a long time, Doc’s work was driven by scientific curiosity and a desire to advance medical knowledge, pushing the boundaries of what could be done with human biology. But she soon found herself entangled in the ethically questionable side of the research, and the subjects of her experiments became people who, like the Vvaywards, were subjected to painful, life-altering procedures.
At first, Doc saw the experiments as necessary sacrifices for the greater good, an attempt to understand C-23 and how it could be used for medical advancements. But as the days wore on, the faces of her subjects began to blur in her mind. She became numb to their suffering at first, thinking that she was helping them by pushing forward with her work. But that changed.
The Vvaywards, each with their own unique abilities and experiences, were brought to the facility, an institution where they would be subjected to the harshest procedures imaginable. Doc was the one overseeing them, yet she was also growing conflicted with each passing day. She could see their pain, their fear, their resistance, and it began to break through her own walls.
Empathy and the Turning Point:
Doc wasn’t just a cold scientist; she was a person capable of feeling deeply, even when she tried to suppress those feelings. The turning point came when she realized that the subjects she was working with weren’t just numbers on a report or faceless patients. They were human beings, people like her, with their own dreams, fears, and desires. She began to notice the individual personalities of the Vvaywards: Will’s tough exterior, Knokout’s silent strength, Raye’s sharp focus, Whisper’s unwavering determination, and the others, all struggling against the system that had imprisoned them. The more she saw, the more she couldn’t ignore the humanity in their eyes.
Doc’s emotional connection to the Vvaywards grew as she became more aware of their suffering. This inner struggle was compounded by her growing guilt. She realized the extent of the cruelty that was happening under her watch, and the lines she had crossed in the name of science started to eat away at her.
The moment that finally shattered her resolve occurred when she found herself alone in a room with Will. His eyes, filled with pain and betrayal, were a mirror of everything she had done wrong. He looked at her not as a doctor or a scientist, but as someone who had put him and his friends through hell. His words cut deep. “Why did they do this to us?”
Doc couldn’t answer him at first, because there was no real answer to give. There was no justification for what had happened to them, no excuse for the pain they had endured. She couldn’t offer him the comfort of an explanation that made sense. But what she could offer, what she had the power to give, was her compassion and a chance at redemption.
Doc’s Decision to Free the Vvaywards:
With the weight of their suffering hanging heavily on her conscience, Doc made a life-altering decision. She would free them. The very people she had once subjected to the cruelest tests would now be the ones she protected. She took great risks to undo the wrongs she had been a part of, shutting down the experiments, bypassing security protocols, and using her medical expertise to ensure their safety as she secretly helped them escape. The choice to free them was not one that came easily. Doc knew that by doing so, she would be risking everything, the loss of her career, her professional reputation, and possibly even her life.
But her empathy for the Vvaywards, her growing understanding of what they had gone through, was too strong to ignore. She could no longer stand by as their torment continued. As she helped them escape, her own heart broke, because she knew that no amount of good she did now could ever undo the pain she had caused. But it was the only way she could make things right.
The Moment of Clarity:
When Will finally asked her, “Why did they do this to us?” Doc’s answer was simple, but it held a depth of meaning. “I don’t know,” she said softly, her voice breaking under the weight of her guilt. She didn’t have the answers. She didn’t know why the experiments were conducted, or why they had been chosen as the subjects. She didn’t understand the science behind it, nor did she know what the ultimate goal had been.
But her response wasn’t just an explanation, it was a promise. “I’ll help save you, you’re safe now,” she said. In that moment, Will understood. He could see the sincerity in her eyes, the anguish that had led her to this point. Doc wasn’t just offering physical safety; she was offering something deeper, an opportunity to heal. She couldn’t undo the past, but she was determined to protect them from further harm.
The Aftermath:
Though Doc freed them, the scars of what had happened would always remain. The Vvaywards would never forget what they had been through, and Doc would always carry the weight of her role in their suffering. But in her decision to help them escape, she found her redemption. She became more than just a doctor, she became a savior, the one who had stood against the very forces she had once served.
And for Will, the journey didn’t end there. Though he and the others were no longer subjects in an experiment, the trauma they had experienced would shape them forever. But thanks to Doc, they had a chance at freedom, at a life beyond the confines of the lab.
Doc’s relationship with the Vvaywards remained complex. While they could never forget what she had been a part of, there was also an unspoken understanding between them, she had set them free, and in doing so, had given them a future that they might never have had. Her empathy and the decision to help them live in peace would define her legacy in their lives.
——————————————————————————————————————————
DOC: The Doctor Who Saved the VVaywards
The cold fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. The air smelled of antiseptic, burnt wiring, and something darker, something metallic, like blood. Doc stood in the sterile white hallway of the underground facility, her heart hammering against her ribs. She gripped the clipboard in her hands, staring at the names on the files. Subjects 23 to 30.
She had read enough.
They weren’t patients. They weren’t criminals. They were people.
And they were being torn apart.
The Experiments
At first, Doc had convinced herself she was helping. That her work meant something. The scientists at Division C-23 spoke in riddles, in half-truths, twisting words like “progress” and “innovation.” She had studied their files, analyzed their procedures. They were experimenting on people; people who had potential, people who had gifts.
But it wasn’t science. It was torture.
She saw it in the bruises, the scars, the way they screamed when the machines burned into their skin. Electrodes drilled into skulls, chemicals pumped into veins, forced genetic modifications, none of it was for “advancement.” It was control.
And Doc had helped.
The Breaking Point
It was Will who changed everything.
He had been strapped down to a metal table, his body covered in burns and bruises. Electrodes still clung to his temples, and the cold restraints dug into his wrists. He wasn’t screaming anymore. Just breathing. Shallow. Ragged.
She had read his file. 27. He wasn’t the only one. The others were in different cells, undergoing their own torture. Whisper. Knokout. Suicyde King. Logan. Raye. All of them.
“Why?” Will croaked, his voice hoarse. “Why are they doing this to us?”
Doc stared at him. For the first time in years, she had no answer.
She looked down at her hands, the hands that had injected the serums, that had drawn the blood, that had stitched up their wounds only to send them back to be hurt again.
She dropped the clipboard.
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
And then, for the first time, she made a choice.
“I’ll help you,” she said.
His eyes flickered open.
“You’re safe now.”
The Escape
She moved fast. Too fast. The alarms were blaring before she even reached the containment cells, her stolen keycard barely holding up against the security overrides. She burst into the room where Whisper was shackled, her wrists bruised and bloody from struggling.
Whisper’s eyes widened. “You?”
“No time. Let’s go.”
The others were locked in separate chambers. Doc moved quickly, undoing restraints, injecting neutralizers into their systems to counteract the drugs. Raye was barely conscious, but when she saw Doc, she spat blood and reached for a knife that wasn’t there.
“You really want to die here?” Doc snapped.
Raye hesitated. Then nodded, letting Doc pull her to her feet.
They fought their way out. The guards weren’t expecting a doctor to be leading the charge, weren’t expecting her to grab a gun and fire first. She took a bullet to the shoulder but didn’t stop.
By the time they reached the exit, Captain was there, waiting outside the security field. The invisible shield flickered for a moment, the illusion shattering.
“Been waiting for you lot,” Captain muttered, adjusting Her glowing monocle.
The sky was dark, the city stretching before them. Behind them, alarms still screamed.
They ran.
Now…
Doc doesn’t talk about the facility. About what she did before she saved them.
But she still has nightmares.
Some nights, she sits in the VVaywards’ science room, staring at old case files, trying to piece together the full extent of the experiments. She knows there are more out there, more people being used, manipulated, destroyed.
Some nights, Will visits her. He doesn’t say much. Just leans against the doorway, cigarette hanging from his lips, watching her.
“You ever gonna forgive yourself?” he asks once.
Doc doesn’t answer.
She just goes back to her work. Because she can’t change the past. But she can make sure it never happens again.